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Maxscript Bits & Tricks – Smart Layer Hacks in 3ds Max

In this episode of Maxscript Bits & Tricks, we’ll take a look at some handy Maxscript snippets to help you organize your 3ds Max scenes more efficiently using layers.

Layers are a great way to group, control, and clean up complex scenes — but often, things end up scattered across random layers or grouped in ways that make no sense. These small but powerful scripts will help you fix that in seconds.

Let’s get started!

Code snippets

1. Move all lights and cameras to the Default layer

Sometimes cameras and lights are scattered across various layers, especially when importing scenes from external sources or merging multiple files. Use this simple line of code to send them all back to the “Default” layer:

for o in objects where (superClassOf o)==light or (superClassOf o)==camera do (LayerManager.getLayer 0).addnode o

2. Move all VRay proxies to a new layer

Keeping your heavy VRayProxy assets organized in a dedicated layer is a great way to manage scene complexity. This snippet finds all VRay proxies in the scene and places them in a newly created layer called “VRay_Proxies”:

lay = LayerManager.newLayerFromName "VRay_Proxies"
for o in objects where classof o == VRayProxy do lay.addNode o

3. Hide all layers except the ones of selected objects

Need to focus only on what you’re working on? This script hides every layer in the scene except the ones where your currently selected objects are. Ideal for isolating working sets without changing visibility layer by layer.

arr = for o in selection collect o.layer.name
LM = LayerManager
for i = 0 to LM.count - 1 do (
    lay = LM.getLayer i
    lay.isHidden = (findItem arr lay.name == 0)
)

Why use these layer scripts?

  • Quickly organize imported or messy scenes
  • Simplify your Layer Manager
  • Focus only on what matters in complex projects
  • Save time in lighting and layout workflows

More productivity tools and scripting for 3ds Max

If you found these tips helpful, be sure to check out our professional plugins and tools for 3ds Max.

We also offer custom scripting services to automate repetitive tasks and boost your workflow!

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